1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure generally relates to imaging, and more specifically, to an ink composition which prevents etching of a printhead component.
2. Description of the Related Art
A robust and high printing capacity printhead is desirable for an inkjet printer. However, an ink, such as for example a pigment based ink, tends to etch silicon based components of the printhead upon contact over time. These silicon based components may include a silicon dioxide protective overcoat and a silicon substrate of a heater chip. Significant etching of these silicon based components may eventually result in delamination of photoimageable nozzle plate, failure of heater chips, or corrosion of electrical interconnection of a heater chip circuit of the printhead, thereby decreasing the service life of the printhead.
To prevent the etching of the chip, a protective overcoat or a more corrosion-resistive thin film may be applied over the heater chip. However, these protective solutions may be difficult to apply during the manufacturing process and may impede the performance of the heater chip. Hence, a better and more permanent solution is needed. The inventors have discovered that by treating the ink with a silicon doping agent, the etching of the printhead component can be reduced or eliminated.
Thus, there is a need to provide an ink composition which prevents the etching of the silicon based components of the printhead to improve printhead reliability and ensure longer printhead service life.